After Vama Veche we used a bus to go from Constanta to Istanbul. It was a trip of 14 hours, but we were lucky! The bus drove in the night, so it was a good time for sleep and get it over with. On the second day I bought a small book of this guy, who was a kind of calligraphy artist. Buying books, write things on it with beautiful letters, or ask the buyer what he wants:
Day 1:
* The internet coffee shops are much more cooler as in my own internet coffee shop-time! But they are less social, because everyone has it's own cabine. And they are cheap!
* Sinbad Hostel
... the Korean ghetto of Fatih. One bed costs 25 Turkish lira. One super computer, but just for Koreans, one low computer for the rest. Hot showers! Cool terrace on the roof for breakfast!
Dogs are not allowed, since a dog of a spanish woman shitted in a room. Can, one of the receptionists, helped us a lot, even active for example by walking with us to show the way. I wish you the best and thanks a lot! You are always welcome.
! Thirsty? Water from street merchants is much cheaper than in shops! (50 Kurus vs. 75 Kurus)
* Blue Mosque
... mosques are very open and round... and it's as blue as the Black Church in Brasov is black. Not at all! Persistent dogs when it's about sex. With them you can play well Pac-Man between the benches in front of the mosque if you want to "protect" your female dog. Entry barefoot & free!
* St. Sophia
... around 12 € for nothing! You're waiting one hour in the sun, paying a lot, just to take photos of photos. And the magic with the finger-wish-hole-thing is getting lost with all these thousand tourists.
* Cisterns
... also a tourist magnet, but when you read some informations before, it's quite interesting. Medusa's heads doesn't transform you to stone!
! The sunsets are wonderful. If you want (/can) spend around 4 € for one beer is a restaurant under the Galata Bridge okay...
... but if you're lucky you are on one of the countless roof terraces of Istanbul.
! Couchsurfing is specially for turkish guys a kind of "sex exchange". Sometimes they even have arguments about hosting a girl.
! Little restaurants are cool and cheap!
* Mahmutpasha
... A lot of people! Friendly sellers chatting to you constantly. Turkish icecream sellers on YouTube are not unique! Nice atmosphere. Another bazaar between the Grand- and the Spice Bazaar!
* Galata Bridge
... when your dog is shitting on the bridge and you're such a good guy to clean it with a bag you won't find a gargabe can to dump it. So you have to leave the bridge just to go the whole way again if you want to stay on the bridge. If not, just go stinky to your site of desire.
You can see all three parts of Istanbul at the same time: the european part, devided of the Golden Horn, and the asian part, devided of the Bosphorus.
* Galata Tower & the way!
... very good view in all directions (because it's round). A lot of tourists, very tight. 5 € for entry. Elevator.
On the way are a lot of small shops. On shop, led by an old, bearded, friendly man, owns a comic from 1892/Paris!
! In the near of Sinbad Hostel, just two corners further, you can find the Reggae Bar. Cool ambience, cool music. Unfortunately expensive! Just one beer (0,3) for 8 Turkish lira!
! Get mentally ready to be woken up at night by the muezzin! Mosques are everywhere! Mosques which are close together alternate there verses sentence by sentence. Reminds me of: This one!
Day 2:
! The life of a receptionist of a hostel offers you a lot of opportunities!
- hosting abroad
- connection
- friends
- travels with strangers
- inspiration
- and so on...
* The Palace
... dogs aren't allowed from the parc gate in front of the palace. But the janitor likes dogs!
The guardians have a smile and a machine gun.
! Everywhere Germans which you can recognize already before they start to speak, for example by their laugh.
* Grand Bazaar
... neon signs are on the rise! Nearly no prices to find on goods! Buy nothing! Everywhere else it's cheaper!
* Spice Bazaar
... this bazaar is builded like a cross, so much clearer than the labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar. The fragrances blow your mind! Spice mountains everywhere! There are fixed prices, no negotiate. Dogs forbidden! Full but clear.
The same good has different prices in differend stands! So check all prices first before you buy.
! Spoon managed to bite through the leash. So... if the leash is half broken, the rest tears fast.
! Under the "bridge to the Galata Bridge" you can find cheap fakes at night, present on special blankets you can bundle fast with all the goods when you have to be fast.
Day 3:
! In Hostel Sindbad you throw your used toilet paper in the garbage can, not in the toilet. I blocked it up.! In Taksim is still christmas decoration over the streets.
! German, old women think they can say what they want when they are in parts of another language.
! A lot of turkish women of every age are incredible afraid of dogs!
* Taksim
... the finding of cheap(!), little kebab shops is difficult!
A lot of shops, good street music, little side alleys with cheap t-shirts (especially for girls).
* Shisha Bar
... short, strong drags for a lot of smoke. The "fruit flavoured" tea is just heated orange nectar. Change the cole not to early.
* Eda Büfe... Kebab 2 Turkish Lira!!! Street: Kücükpazar. The first time rice with nothing. It was good.
Day 4 (Food-/Foot-Day):
! Hammam but cheap? Take the bus 35 A till the end station. Ask there for the Sümbül Efendi Hamami-bath (0(212)5290948)! 10 bis max. 20 Turkish Lira. Usually you pay around 60 €!
! Study in Istanbul: You have to pay for everything, even the paper. Specially expensive for foreigners.
* "Karen" (Str.: Cevetpasha)
... I'm not a big fan of fancy cakes, but this magnifience of confectioners blow even my mind - I couldn't resist.
! Turkish tram securities don't know slips for dogs (we faked a muzzle).
* Teatime in the alleys
... 1 lump of suger is good, 6 are too much.
! In Istanbul you can camp in parks and even on playgrounds without problems!
Day 5:
! Be persistent when it comes to travel with your dog in a travel bus (above, without cage). First it was impossible, than we have to wait for the driver's decision, this guy said no and in the end yes!
! Everywhere shops and stands for festive dresses and cleaning products. Conclusion: turkish people celebrate and clean a lot.
* Our first step on asian ground
... Forget the board wal, except two places: first the steps, equipped with carpets and pillows (which are more comfortable as they seems like) with perfect view to all parts of Istanbul, directly on the Bosphorus and second the close toilets which are unbelievable clean. Small familiar eating-houses exist a few streets eastwards.
Our Top Five!
Dada:
1. See all Istanbul from Uskudar port, sit on the carpets in front of Leandro's Tower.
2. Hammam: have a bath in a traditional turkish hammam, lying on the hot marble, take a bubble massage and take an oil massage, al made by an old turkish woman with big and naked tits.
3. Eat a fish bread (5 Turkish lira) on Galata Bridge on sunset time!
4. Eat a döner, pilau (rice), cake, drink a tea, smoke shisha or whatever other turkish tradition in a small, cheap and true turkish place (going inside the town).
5. Get lost in the street markets!
Yoana:
1. Nice people:
- An old woman gave me paper when she saw me drying my hands in my trousers after clean them.
- 3 teas: 2 Turkish lira.
- Water for Spoon.
- Save our suitcases for free in Sinbad Hostel.
- Use the bathroom and showers and even take breakfast for free!
- Can walked kilometer to show us a cheap hammam.
- Funny men gave bread to Spoon.
- Only 15 Turkish lira for 3 breads with spicy food, rice, 3 yoghurts
and a Coke, and the bartender went to buy our bread!
2. Traditional women from turkey, wearing white slips and with their fatty flash outside, removing all my dirt from Vama Veche.
2. As full as pigs and with a new white blanket we saw all Istanbul from the asian part. (Here we still keep on eating!)
! I have to 2's because I can't decide between the nipples and the view.
3. Stands with cucumbers, sweets, corn, apples, juices, nuts, hitler-display dummies, party dresses, weird carrots, adidas trousers for 5 lira, kebabs, kebabs and also more kebabs! If you want to check if you are getting weight in Istanbul you can do it in the middle of the street.
4. Eat fishes with their head (oh no, this was Vama Veche). Eat fishes without heads on sunset time in Galata Bridge with Spoon wearing flowers around her neck.
Daniel:
1. Nr. 1 of Dada.
2. Nr. 1 of Yoana.
3. Spice Bazaar with all its fragrances and colors.
4. Nr. 2 of Dada.
5. Uninvited Jazzbrand - sitting on the street of Taksim and listen to street music.
And last but not least, our food:
- Daniel
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